The Kremlin announced Thursday that it was awarding Russian citizenship to action-movie star Steven Seagal.

Seagal, 64, already has several Russian visa stamps in his passport from his visits to the country, where he's accompanied Vladimir Putin to martial-arts events. The Russian president, who's two years his junior, has been a practitioner of judo since he was a teenager and has even written a book on the subject.

The Under Siege star, who identifies as Republican and has called for the impeachment of President Obama, has vocally praised Putin, calling him "one of the greatest world leaders" and defending Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

In March of that year, he told the state-owned newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta that western policy on Crimea was "idiotic" and characterized the takeover as Putin acting to "protect the Russian-speaking people of Crimea, his assets, and the Russian Black Sea military base in Sevastopol."

If Seagal were to accept Russian citizenship, he wouldn't be hurting for expatriate company: French actor Gérard Depardieu went into tax exile there in 2013 and American boxer Roy Jones Jr. made a personal request to Putin for dual citizenship in 2015 in order to ease his frequent business trips there — and got it.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Seagal “has been insistent for a long time in asking to be granted Russian citizenship,” adding that “he is known for his warm feelings to our country. He never made a secret of it, and he’s also a well-known actor, which gave grounds to make him a Russian citizen.”

Seagal, who tweeted last month that he was spending most of October there, has yet to comment on his social media accounts and his representatives did not immediately respond to USA TODAY about whether he plans to accept or if he'll claim dual Russian-American citizenship, which could force him to pay taxes to both countries.

Or possibly three countries, in Seagal's case since he was also granted Serbian citizenship in January after offering to establish a martial-arts school in that country's capital of Belgrade.

But on the upside, he might also be eligible to collect a pension in Russia: a cool 5,000 rubles ($78), notes AP Moscow correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva.

The pension angle for the Seagal story. Seagal is entitled to a pension of 5,000 rubles ($78) when he reaches retirement age next year. https://t.co/nIgsTyQO0r

Ashley Judd arrives at a news conference on Nov. 7, 2016, in Nashville to voice her support for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and local election protection efforts that will be in place on Election Day. Mark Humphrey, AP

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Amber Tamblyn revealed Oct. 26 she's pregnant in a 'Glamour' essay about why she's voting for Clinton. "I'm pregnant, with a daughter on the way. I think constantly about the world I am bringing her into." Referring to Trump's misogynistic remarks about women in a 2005 'Access Hollywood' tape, she said she'll be "voting for a future for my daughter where conversations about our bodies and our lives are broader than what value they have for men." Evan Agostini, AP

James Franco is on Clinton's side, demonstrating his quirky personality in a new $1 million digital ad campaign, released Oct. 26, playing off the 'Most Interesting Man in the World' beer commercial. Clinton is the "most interesting woman in the world," he says in the ad, and usually the "smartest guy in the room," too. "Vote wisely, my friends," he says. Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Miley Cyrus campaigned in person for Clinton on Oct. 22, knocking on dorm doors to talk to students at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., dressed, as usual, in the kind of skimpy (but patriotic) outfit that always gets attention for her and her causes. Molly Riley, AP

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Kirstie Alley came out in support of Trump on April 9, tweeting, "HELLO BOYS! this is my formal endorsement of @realDonaldTrump & I'm a woman! (last I checked)." After the Oct. 9 debate, she changed her mind. Now she's not supporting either Trump or Clinton, she said on Twitter. "I hate this election," she said in a tweet. Evan Agostini, Invision/AP

Lauren Bush Lauren comes from good GOP stock (President Bush 41 is grandpa, President Bush 43 is uncle, as is former GOP candidate Jeb Bush), but she's with Clinton, she said on Instagram on Oct. 10, 2016. "I'm with her," she posted next to an arty black/white photo of Clinton. Here with husband David Lauren (son of Ralph) at the Met gala in May 2014, the ex-model founded a fashion company that funds anti-hunger charities. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Poor Aaron Carter, seen here on Feb. 14, 2016 in Los Angeles. He endorsed Trump in a tweet on Feb. 27, then faced an often-profane Twitter backlash over Trump's views on LGBT issues. Carter gave back as good as he got, said he supports Trump on 70% of the issues, and vowed to not vote for him if he does not support gay people. On Oct. 10, he said he no longer supported Trump. No word yet on whether he will still vote and, if so, who he will back. Jerod Harris, Getty Images for GBK Productions

Justin Timberlake and his wife, Jessica Biel, are stepping in as co-hosts of a Hollywood fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, 2016, after Leonardo DiCaprio bowed out due to a schedule change. The couple, here at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in February, will join other stars as co-hosts, including Jennifer Aniston, Tobey Maguire and Shonda Rhimes. Alberto E. Rodriguez, WireImage

Cher, here performing in Sunrise, Fla., returns to that key state Aug. 19 to headline a LGBT fundraiser for Clinton in Miami Beach, then heads to gay-friendly Provincetown on Cape Cod for another LBGT fundraiser, which will also feature Clinton. As a longtime entertainment icon for gays, and as the mother of transgender activist Chaz Bono, Cher is seen as a natural surrogate for Clinton, according to 'Politico.' Jeff Daly/Invision/AP

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Chloe Grace Moretz, 19, here on June 23, 2016, announced on Instagram July 20 that she would be speaking at the DNC in Philadelphia. "#ImWithHer going to be such a beautiful historic day and I can’t believe I have the immense honor of being part of it. Thank you @hillaryclinton !” she posted. Christopher Smith/Invision/AP

Ivanka Trump may be her father's greatest celebrity asset: Smart, stunning, level-headed, a businesswoman and a mom, who finds the time to update her website and pose for magazine covers such as this one on 'Harper's Bazaar,' wearing a sweeping Carolina Herrera gown. She run parts of the Trump real estate empire, and acts as one of her father's key campaign advisers. Mark Seliger, Harper's BAZAAR

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Scott Baio, formerly Chachi on 'Happy Days' in the 1980s, spoke at the RNC on July 18, 2016 in Cleveland, saying Trump would fix all the things wrong with America. But he was attacked on social media for retweeting a picture of Clinton standing seemingly in front of a derogatory term for a woman. He said he had no regrets. Alex Wong, Getty Images

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One of the few outspoken conservatives in liberal-dominated Hollywood, Oscar-winner Jon Voight, seen here on Feb. 21, 2016, in Los Angeles, endorsed Trump on March 9, telling conservative website Breitbart that Trump "is an answer to our problems... The Republicans need to unite behind this man." So far, neither his daughter, Angelina Jolie, nor son-in-law Brad Pitt have said publicly who they might endorse. Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage

Sarah Silverman, here at the SAG Awards in January, was in the Bernie Sanders camp but she gave Clinton a boost at the DNC when she called out 'Bernie-or-Bust' delegates, telling them, "You're being ridiculous." Gregg DeGuire, WireImage

Will Ferrell, here on Feb. 9, 2016, endorsed Sanders in September but by February in Iowa he had switched to Clinton, appearing with Bill Clinton and urging voters to caucus for Hillary. Frazer Harrison, Getty Images for Paramount

Nothing is ever totally clear with these two, seen here in June 2015, but there's no doubt Kim Kardashian posted a selfie with a grinning Clinton, husband Kanye West photobombed the picture, and Kim appeared to endorse "our next president" in the August 2015 post. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Barbra Streisand, here performing in October 2012, is a fervent backer of Clinton. She's set to perform at an LGBT fundraiser for Clinton in New York on Sept. 9, according to Buzzfeed. Evan Agostini, AP

Elton John is not a U.S. citizen so he can't vote but he can donate and he can support, and he's supporting Clinton. He and Katy Perry headlined a concert fundraiser for her at Radio City Music Hall in New York on March 2, 2016. John told the crowd Clinton is their "only hope" this year. Julie Jacobson, AP

George Clooney, here in Berlin in February, is supporting Clinton, and is doing a fundraiser for her, even though he has nice things to say about Sanders. He dismisses Trump as a "xenophobic fascist." Matthias Nareyek, WireImage

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